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[quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by bill mathewson This is a tracking software that is used by publishers to determine where you go on the internet, gathers private info about you, and then slams you with spam, slows down your computer, etc. [/quote] That's a pretty common misconception. As george745 said, the Commission Junction cookies that are set is not spyware. Spyware does what you describe, Bill, but these cookies do not. The purpose of the CJ cookies are to track sales made when a site visitor clicks on links to products or services. The referring website is paid a small commission when a sale is made as a result. It says to a merchant that you clicked on a link on Site A that took you to Site B where you bought something. This info is used to tell the merchant that Site A gets a commission from the sale. And that's all it does. Part of my business is publishing a number of websites including a book review site, an Adirondack outdoors site & a couple of music sites. The way these sites pay for themselves is through commissions from links as described above. Without them and the cookies that are set during the process, I would not be able to offer free access to the information and likely would simply shut them down. There are three major networks including CJ representing thousands of merchants as well as many merchants that run their own affiliate marketing program. Everyone of these merchants, which includes nearly every major retailer with an online presence use cookies to track commissions from referring links. To some computer users, any cookie is an invasion of their privacy no matter what it is used for, even as george745 said when it simply remembers your login so you don't have to enter your info everytime you read these forums. It is far from spyware or adware, however. I like Spybot S&D and it has helped clean lots of nasties from my own computers. Why it misleadingly defines CJ 's cookies as "problems" is something I don't quite understand. They also call BFast & Linksynergy cookies as "problems." These are simply other merchants' cookies fromthe other two major affiliate networks. Spybot need to do a better job of defining what the cookie does to avoid unnecessary confusion and fear. Wayne
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